Letter to Supt. Araceli Pastor

OPEN LETTER TO SUPERINTENDENT PASTOR

(This letter has been sent to the Supt. Pastor via email and has been released

to the social media as well. This has also been translated into Ilokano.)

August 10, 2013

Ms Araceli Pastor

Superintendent, Division of City Schools

Laoag City

Dear Superintendent Pastor,

You publicly announced the resolution of the case involving the three students ‘advised’ by their school Saviour’s Christian Academy, to look for another school after having been heard speaking in Ilokano inside their school.

This case, while it originated from this act of Kleinee Bautista, Carl Andrew Abadilla, and Samuel Respicio and the subsequent act of President Rev Dr Brian Shah and Principal Cristeta Pedro, is no longer just a case involving these parties. The case involves a violation of students’ linguistic rights, rights that are covered by human rights; it also involves non-compliance of the current directive of the Philippine government on Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education.

This case is of public interest now. Both the national and international communities are watching carefully on how the case was resolved as you announced.

We would like to ask for a public accounting of the resolution of the case.

The public deserves to know.

The Ilokano people all over the world deserve to know.

The people of the Philippines deserve to know.

Very truly yours,

Aurelio Solver Agcaoili &

Raymund Ll Liongson

International Committee in Support of Bautista, Abadilla, and Respicio/

Nakem Conferences International